Mulberry Silk

It is a fact that the bulk of the commercial silk produced in the world comes from this variety and the silk is generally referred to as mulberry silk. The silk is exclusively obtained from the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. The worm solely feeds on the leaves of mulberry plant.

Mulberry silk is also known as pure silk. The fabric is very smooth, soft in texture, strong and have a shimmering luster. Considered as the world's finest silk fabric, mulberry silk is widely used for making sarees like Benarasi sarees, decorative zari sarres, chiffon sarees; and various other products like stoles, shawls, embroidered garments of all varieties.

Cultivation of Mulberry Silkworm
It is said that first step in the production of mulberry silk involves the systematic cultivation of mulberry, the food plant of Bombyx mori. The silkworms are completely domesticated and reared indoors. The leading mulberry silk producing states in India include Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir. These states together accounts for 92 % of country's total mulberry raw silk production.

Variety of Mulberry Silk
Matka Silk This type of silk is obtained from waste mulberry silk by hand spinning without removing the gum or sericin. Cocoons required to produce Matka are mainly obtained from Karnataka and Kashmir but spinning is mostly done in the villages of Malda and Murshidabad districts in West Bengal. Some of the well-known villages including Sujapur, Islampur, Dariapur, etc have given their names to the Matka yarns produced in these villages.

Production of Mulberry Silk
Mulberry silk is cultivated throughout Asia. The silk produced in China is smooth, silky and soft. The Indian mulberry is comparatively softer and available in vibrant and rich shades offering a classy look.

Mulberry silk produced in Thailand possesses natural blended textures and styles. Besides these countries, mulberry silk is also produced in some parts of Europe.